Cracking the
Beat Sheet
Go from idea to outline at your own pace
What You'll Learn and Accomplish
In the self-paced Cracking Your Beat Sheet workshop, you'll start with an idea for a novel or film and leave with the 15 key beats that will become the backbone of your story.
With the popular Save the Cat! approach, you’ll discover the language of storytelling and the universal story structuring principles that are widely used by successful screenwriters and novelists.
You'll turn an idea into a story by learning to...
- Create a solid beat sheet that will serve as the blueprint, road map, and “backbone” of your story
- Identify and know the key components of your story genre
- Learn the clichés of your genre so that you can break them like an artist
- Plot your hero’s “transformation”
- Troubleshoot your story idea for viability
- Write a compelling logline or elevator pitch
- Develop a title to your story that anyone can visualize
Requirements
- A copy of Blake Snyder's first book, Save the Cat!
- A computer, tablet, or smartphone
- An idea (or several) that you want to write
Is This Course for You?
This course is for those who...
- Want to troubleshoot an existing story
- Have so many great ideas and struggle to choose "the one"
- Are ready to write but not sure how to start
- Are determined to finish a half-written story
- Want to learn
This Course Includes
- Over 3 hours and 17 minutes of original video production
- 9 downloadable worksheets
- 3 reading assignments (book not included)
- 4 homework assignments
Course Curriculum
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2
WELCOME
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Introduction
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3
GET YOUR PITCH READY
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Lecture 1: Start with a Title and a Logline
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Lecture 2: Blake's 10 Story Genres
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Reading Assignment
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Worksheet: 4 + 4 Elements of Every Successful Logline
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Worksheet: Blake's 10 Story Genres
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Worksheet: Logline Template
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Worksheet: 3 Common Pitch Problems
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Week 1 Homework
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4
UNDERSTANDING AND BEGINNING YOUR BEATS
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Lecture 3: Overview of the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet
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Lecture 4: Focus on the 6 Pillar Beats
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Reading Assignment
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Worksheet: The 15 Beats
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Week 2 Homework
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5
REFINING AND COMPLETING YOUR BEATS
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Lecture 5: Focus on the Other 9 Beats
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Worksheet: Five-Point Finale/Storming the Castle
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Week 3 Homework
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6
PERFECTING YOUR BEATS AND COMPLETING THE TRANSFORMATION
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Lecture 6: Polishing and Refining Your Beats
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Reading Assignment
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Worksheet: The Story Spine Checklist
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Worksheet: The "Is It Broken?" Test
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Worksheet: The Transformation Machine
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Week 4 Homework
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7
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
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Exit Survey
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Your Instructor
Jennifer Zhang
Filmmaker Jennifer Zhang trained directly with Blake Snyder in both his beat sheet workshops and master classes. Since her ambitious solo-effort film, Charon, in 2021, Jennifer's career has shifted into high gear. Her 2022 short film Fetish won the $30,000 Panavision-sponsored grand prize at the celebrated Micheaux Film Festival and continued on to become Oscar-qualified. Jennifer's 2023 science fiction short Autopilot has taken top honors across the festival circuit, including "Outstanding Sci-Fi Short" at the Micheaux Film Festival, the "Audience Award" with AMC/Shudder's Etheria Film Night, and "Best Science Fiction Short" at the Blue Planet Science Fiction Film Festival -- China's biggest and most prestigious science fiction festival.
Reviews
Honestly the best course I've seen on screenwriting.
paul sanchez
This course, and the books, have inspired me to write like no other courses have...and to make my existing scripts better. Totally worth it.
This course, and the books, have inspired me to write like no other courses have...and to make my existing scripts better. Totally worth it.
Read LessCracking the Beat Sheet helped me get an agent!
Shawn Maus
I have an MFA in Screenwriting. I read the STC books when they were published, but this course is what really made it all come together - including what I le...
Read MoreI have an MFA in Screenwriting. I read the STC books when they were published, but this course is what really made it all come together - including what I learned in my MFA program! The course is relevant as it uses movie examples we've all seen, not like most screenwriting courses that rely on "the classics" which most people rarely, if at all, watch. (Although I feel there is MUCH to be gained from watching the classics). The course is broken down into weeks, but you can watch it over the course of days. I do recommend using the weekly approach as if you were in college taking a course. DO the reading assignments and the worksheets as well. You'll be amazed by what you apply to the learning! I've been using Beat Sheets for years, but this comprehensive course brought new understandings to my usage. It's not just another tool in the toolbox, it's THE tool you need in your writing. I have even gone back to rewrite my current agent-approved script to tighten it up since I took this course. Bravo, Save the Cat Team!
Read LessWorth Every Penny
Rick Fraser
Great stuff if you REALLY want to understand the beats!
Great stuff if you REALLY want to understand the beats!
Read LessI am replotting my mystery novel and this has been invalu...
Nancie Janitz
My editor told me that my MC had no agency and the pacing was off, so I am going back to the drawing board and using the Beat Sheets and lessons from this cl...
Read MoreMy editor told me that my MC had no agency and the pacing was off, so I am going back to the drawing board and using the Beat Sheets and lessons from this class to rework my book so that is a story I can be proud of. THANK YOU JENNIFER... I love your teaching style and humor! :)
Read LessExcellent Course
Vali Hawkins MItchell
I was surprised and pleased with the excellent content and presentation of this short, tight, and robust course. Definitely I got more for my money than I ex...
Read MoreI was surprised and pleased with the excellent content and presentation of this short, tight, and robust course. Definitely I got more for my money than I expected. Well done.
Read LessLove this video course
Eddie Tsai
Thank you for making this course. It helps me get more understanding of how the film works. And how I can have a guide to make my ideas of stories.
Thank you for making this course. It helps me get more understanding of how the film works. And how I can have a guide to make my ideas of stories.
Read LessGreat Help
Richard Wylie
Well worth the money. Put all the pieces of the jigsaw together
Well worth the money. Put all the pieces of the jigsaw together
Read LessNOW I HAVE A CLUE
Donna Phillips
I knew absolutely nothing about story structure until I read SAVE THE CAT and took this course. I highly recommend it.
I knew absolutely nothing about story structure until I read SAVE THE CAT and took this course. I highly recommend it.
Read Less